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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Levi Winchester

Rare plants accidentally sold at Lidl and B&Q being listed online for thousands

Shoppers are being urged to check for rare plants that could be worth a small fortune at the likes of Lidl and B&Q.

Supermarkets and DIY chains can sometimes stock naturally occurring variations of common house plants - and these rare versions can be extremely valuable.

Some are even mistaken for disease by the shops, who then go on to sell the plants at a reduced price, according to MyLondon.

Some of the plants are sold by the shops for around £10 but can sell for a far higher price online, for even just a small part of it like a left or stem.

Check your local shop for rare and unusual plants (Getty Images/Mint Images RF)

In some cases, opportunist sellers are listing just the stem of some plants for thousands of pounds - although they can get them for far cheaper by shopping around.

Of course, there is no guarantee that your local shop will have any rare plants in stock - but it serves as a good reminder to have a look next time you visit.

Variegated Monstera Deliciosa

A variegated Monstera Deliciosa has white markings (Getty Images)

The Monstera Deliciosa is more commonly known as a Swiss Cheese plant because of the holes in its leaves.

And while a regular green plant isn't worth much, a variegated Monstera is very rare.

This version has white markings on their stems and leaves, occasionally putting out a whole white leaf.

Because the signs can be subtle in young plants, shops can sometimes mix them up with the plain variety and sell them for a tenner.

Just a cutting can sell for between £65 and £150 on plant websites, but one cheeky seller on Etsy had a stem listed for £4,562.18.

MyLondon also spotted a single five-inch stick being sold on Facebook Marketplace for £1,399.

Have you made money selling plants? Let us know in the comments below.

Variegated Monstera Adansonii

White spots are a tell-tale sign of a Variegated Monstera Adansonii (Getty Images)

A regular Monstera Adansonii can develop white spots that cause shops to sell them for cheap.

But these spots are easily confused with the beginnings of variegation, which has the same telltale white stripes on the stem as the Deliciosa.

A variegated Adansonii is a rare find and not to be confused with a sick plant.

Listings on Esty today started at £200, going up to as much as £1,533.39 for a single lead.

On Ebay, the most expensive variegated Adansonii for sale is listed at £3,699.

Philodendron White Princess or White Knight

A Philodendron with white leaves worth more than a regular plant (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

With over 400 species of Philodendron in the world, shops might struggle to differentiate between them.

And just like the Monsteras, there is a Philodendron with white leaves is worth more than a regular plant.

The Philodendron White Princess and White Knight look very similar, with glossy green leaves with white lines that might be mistaken for disease or damage by clueless shops.

We spotted some shops selling them online for £40, while others are stocking them for £120.

On Etsy, these beauties are listed for as much as £4,216.82 for a White Knight and the White Princess is on sale on various sites for roughly £400.

Pink Princess Philodendron

The Pink Princess Philodendron has pink variegation (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The Pink Princess Philodendron or PPP is very similar to the White Knight and White Princess, but has pink variegation instead of white.

You might see it in shops because it's easy to propagate and the pink colour looks stunning.

But it can take a while for it to show as more than a shadow on a baby plant, hence the potentially low price.

A mature plant can be sold online for around £20 but some opportunist sellers are listing them on Etsy for a far heftier £2,228.

Monstera Obliqua

The fragile leaves on the Monstera Obliqua plant can be mistaken for pest damage.

But a genuine Obliqua is amongst the most sought after plant by enthusiasts and could earn you some serious money.

We found a single leaf selling on a garden website for £15 while on Etsy, prices can go as high as £1,590.

On eBay, the most expensive price was £1,250 a small plant was listed at as much as £1,000 on Facebook Marketplace.

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